Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1954 Reference No: 6036 Case No: 113'756 Model Name: Oyster Chronographe "Jean Claude Killy" Material: 18K pink gold Calibre: Manual, cal. 72C, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: 18K pink gold Italian made bracelet, max length 180mm Clasp/Buckle: 18K pink gold deployant clasp Dimensions: 36mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial and movement signed Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex guarantee, product literature, envelope, presentation box and outer packaging. Literature: The present watch is published in Master Rolex by Guido Mondani Editore, pages 66 and 67.
Catalogue Essay
Reference 6036 replaced its predecessor, reference 5036, in 1951. Named after champion sportsman and Rolex ambassador Jean-Claude Killy, the ‘Killy’ is the only Rolex Oyster model to feature a full calendar and chronograph complication. It is the third representative of arguably the most complicated vintage Rolex line of timepieces, which is now known as “Datocompax” or, more famously, “Jean-Claude Killy”. The model is preceded by two other Killy iterations - ref. 5036 (launched in 1948) and ref. 4767 (launched in 1947) - and succeeded by ref. 6236, all four of them sporting very similar aesthetics and differing mainly for technical updates. It is worth noting the existence also of ref. 4768 - produced alongside ref. 4767 - sharing the same complications as the four Killy models but lacking an Oyster case, and thus its classification as a Killy is somewhat debated.
The reference was typically cased in stainless steel. Yet, for their most discerning clients, Rolex also offered the model in yellow gold, steel and gold combinations, and most exclusively, in pink gold.
The present example is a superlative example, with a beautiful case and crisp hallmarks. The numbers are crisp between the lugs and the dial has changed to a beautiful ivory hue. The luminous dots are also round, intact, and have aged with warm patina
An incredibly important watch, the present watch is furthermore forever preserved in literature, being published in Master Rolex by Guido Mondani Editore, pages 66 and 67.
Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.
One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.